Dd1 is constantly putting things in her mouth - she is 6 FFS

[emkana]

I just can't understand why she's doing it.

I keep telling her to stop, but I think half the time she's not even aware she's doing it.

Comfort? Late teeth/early second teeth? Hunger? Boredom?

Dd1 was like this. She would always have bits of paper or polly pockets (her sister's) or Barbie shoes (her sisters) or hama beads or any small thing in her mouth and she'd chew away on it, oblivious.

She was unaware she was doing it. She does it much less now (10), and usually only bits of paper. Or her nails.

Not that uncommon - think of it as no different to adults chewing gum, chewing pen tops or fingernails!

Is there an alternative you can give her - eg carrot sticks,?

Oral stimulation like this is often a way of keeping alert when you are unfocussed or tired, so she might be trying to keep awake, or calm if she is agitated.

Dd1 is like this and she is 10! I don't think she will ever grow out of it because I never have. She doesn't bite her nails thank god (and neither do I) - but until she had her hair cut short she would chew it. I'm always taking her watch/bracelet/toy cat away from her because despite numerous tellings things still make their way to her mouth . I try not to get too cross about it though because I do understand it to an extent.

My DS4 has always been like this. He is 13 and chews gum now (although I hate the stuff!). But he has always put things in his mouth to chew-used to be Blue Tack! .

i chewed paper/ sleeves/ toys as a child - i don't even do gum now!

my dd is 6 too and has always chewed stuff, we are getting her hair chopped soon(at her request) but she seems to have a mouthful of hair all the time just now, if I braid it she takes the thingy out

DS is 9 and still chews sleeves, tops, or things!!

she chews holes in her sleeves, bites stuff till it looks awful grrrrr

DS too, I have given up replacing his school jumpers as as soon as I buy a new one he chews a hole in it

sparkly I sooo hope dd grows out of it soon, though she seems to chew her nails less now, the holes in new cardis and the soggy sleeves make me grumpy